2. Check the minimum notice periods
Question & Answer
I’ve been fired. How much notice should I get?Ontario’s (ESA) has rules about minimum amount of notice employers need to give employees who are fired.
| If you’ve worked for: | You should get at least this much notice: |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 months | No minimum notice |
| At least 3 months but less than 1 year | 1 week |
| 1 year but less than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years but less than 4 years | 3 weeks |
| 4 years but less than 5 years | 4 weeks |
| 5 years but less than 6 years | 5 weeks |
| 6 years but less than 7 years | 6 weeks |
| 7 years but less than 8 years | 7 weeks |
| 8 years but less than 9 years | 8 weeks |
Working for a temp agency
A temp agency usually has to give you one week’s if:
- the agency sends you to a job that’s scheduled to last 3 months or more, and
- the job ends before 3 months.
But they don’t have to do this if, during your one week’s notice:
- they offer to send you to another job,
- the new job is scheduled to last for at least one week, and
- the work is reasonable for you.
For example, work might not be reasonable for you if:
- there’s no way for you to get to the job and back home each day
- you’re not physically able to do the work
Mass termination
If an employer fires 50 or more workers within a period of 4 weeks, the minimum notice periods might be different. This is sometimes called “mass termination”.
The rules about mass termination are for situations like a large company going out of business or a factory shutting down.
With mass termination, the amount of notice you get doesn’t depend on how long you worked for your employer but on the number of workers being fired.
| Number of employees being fired: | Amount of notice: |
|---|---|
| 50 to 199 employees | 8 weeks |
| 200 to 499 employees | 12 weeks |
| 500 or more employees | 16 weeks |
To find out more about your right to notice if you’re fired, use the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s online Termination Tool.
